The Difficult Path
by Crimson Angel Sin
Summary: When you are faced with a choice: to have your dreams become reality but give up the life you have and all those in it, OR remain in this humdrum life and lose the chance to save thousands of lives...Which would you choose? Which do I choose? envyxoc
1. A Difficult Decision

_Disclaimer: I do not own _FullMetal Alchemist_. Just the OC, Angel Wolfsong is mine._

_Crimson: I. . .I. . .crap *  
_

_Truth: Can't think of anything to say, can you?_

_Crimson: Shut up!_

_Truth: **sighs** READ ON!_

* * *

**Chapter One–**

**A Difficult Decision**

**O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O**

I felt a pull. A tug at my very soul. A strange ringing filled my ears, and I couldn't hear anything else. Even the music I had blaring from the radio fell silent the instant the ringing began.

I'd like to say this had never happened before. That it was completely unusual, however, this _had_ happened before on several occasions. And this _wasn't_ unusual. It just hadn't happened to such a degree before. . . .

I looked around, brown eyes not really seeing the various anime pictures posted up all over my walls. The ringing grew louder. I could no longer discern the elevating voices coming from the radio as my favorite song came to its peak. My shoulder-length dark-brown hair fell into my face as I swung my head around in search of the source, even though I knew I'd never find it.

A penetrating cold crept over my skin, raising goosebumps all over my snow-white flesh. My black, off-the-shoulder shirt did little to keep me warm. I shivered as the temperature in my bedroom dropped ever lower.

Well, this was new.

I gasped as what felt like small hands curled around my arms and legs, yanking me backwards all of a sudden. Icy fingers dug into the bare skin of my waist. I bit back a scream.

My eyes widened, straining to see through the blanket of white that had descended upon me but to no avail. I looked down at my body, trying to see what had hold of me, but, before I could get so much as a glimpse, the hands released me. I dropped about a foot or two to the ground. My heart soared into my throat. I was deathly afraid as my feet hit nothing but white. I looked around, seeing no walls, ceiling, or floor. Everything just looked _white_. . . . It was very strange.

"Girl," a disembodied voice echoed all around me.

I jumped about a foot into the air. My hair flew about my face once again as I swung around to search for the speaker. But I couldn't discern from which direction it even came from.

"No need to make yourself dizzy," it chuckled. My face automatically fell into a weak glare. "I am all around you. This is my realm," the voice–that sounded remarkably like a child's–echoed off the glaring white of this infinite space.

My eyes narrowed in disbelief. So far, I didn't like the speaker of these arrogant words. An unpleasant feeling churned in the pit of my stomach. I pushed it back, but let my hand wander to my hip just in case.

"And yet _you_ are able to slip through the barriers of your world and step into mine," the voice now held a puzzled tone. My eyes widened at this bit of news, unsure as to what exactly it spoke of. I could venture a guess, however. "And your spirit is so different from the rest of your kind. So _pure_." The confusion in the creature's voice only grew with each word. I finally shook my head clear of jumbled thoughts and stepped in.

"I'm not different," I argued. "There are a lot of people like me out there." Silence met my words, but it only lasted for the span of a few minutes.

"And yet _you _stand out," it continued.

I couldn't speak, not knowing how to respond to such an accusation. Or perhaps it was a compliment? I couldn't tell. I simply stood and waited for whatever this disembodied being wanted to tell me.

"Hm. . . . I suppose it could be useful keeping you around for awhile." My eyes widened at this, then my nose scrunched up in distaste as I looked around at all the utter blankness of this place. "Heh. Heh. Not _here_, of course. You wouldn't survive," it reassured in an arrogant tone. "But you must make a decision." A long silence stretched on after these words left the invisible speaker's mouth. I just barely refrained from tapping my toe on the floor that didn't look like it was even there. My patience was fast running out, however.

"Don't get your broom in a twist," the voice scoffed, raising the hairs on the back of my neck.

I growled low in my throat. That had to be the most-ridiculous saying I had ever heard!

"The decision is this: would you rather enter _that_ world in the hopes of salvaging it and lose any chance of seeing your family ever again."

I felt a trickle of fear seep into my heart at that, but, with it, came a smoldering of hope.

"_Or_ would you prefer to keep the life you have and forever daydream for the rest of your life? At least, in your world, you would have family, friends, _and _your mortality," it finished ominously, threateningly.

Confusion furrowed my brows at the last word. "Mortality?" I questioned aloud, glancing around to see if I could find the speaker.

"Yes," the voice verified. "If you continue on this path, your very life will be put on the line. Your worst fear will be realized."

I took in a gulp of air, realization dawning on my face. My fingers clenched around the hilt of the dagger that hung from my hip. My worst fear? That wasn't possible! I couldn't go through with it, could I? Sudden visions of the people I so desperately wanted to help flashed before my dark-brown eyes.

What was I thinking? I had the chance to save lives! Who would ever walk away from that? And this was my dream, after all. Even if it may not go the way I want it to; even if I may end up completely alone, I wasn't about to turn my back on my own heart.

I looked up, stared straight in front of me with determination flaring in every line of my body, and opened my lips to voice my response.

A rush of wind carried away my words. Not even I could hear what my own mouth had said. I raised my arms up to my face, seeking to protect myself from the raging weather in this strange, white land. The booming sound of enormous doors creaking open had me peeking through my arms. My mouth dropped open at what I saw. The cold fingers of terror slid around my heart, squeezing it mercilessly. I fully recognized the image before me, after seeing it time and time again in my most beloved anime and manga series.

I had been speaking with the Gate, itself. . . .


	2. Here We Go!

_Disclaimer: I do not own _FullMetal Alchemist_. I do, however, own myself (which is the OC, Angel Wolfsong)._

_Crimson: Yay! 2nd chapter!_

_Truth: You realize you haven't updated your _other_ fanfictions yet, right?_

_Crimson: So?_

_Truth: **points at a crowd of people wielding torches and pitchforks** So what about them?_

_Crimson: O.o_

_Truth: Girl?_

_Crimson: O.o_

_Truth: Hello? **waves hand in front of face**_

_Crimson: **faints**_

_Truth: O.o That's just sad._

_READ ON! (and don't kill her, please. Then she'll never update. . .)_

* * *

**Chapter Two–**

**Here We Go!**

**O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O  
**

The sound of pounding woke me up. It thrashed against my temples, increasing the headache that I already had. I groaned at the pain in my head. It felt like my skull was in a vice, it hurt so bad.

I slit open one eye before realizing I was lying facedown, on my stomach. My light weight crushed my arms seeing as how they had somehow gotten beneath me. It took about four or five attempts before I could operate my limbs well enough to get into a sitting position. And even when I had managed to sit up, I felt a wave of dizziness wash over me, threatening to send me back to the hard concrete I had apparently slept on. Raising a shaky, pale hand to my lips in an attempt to keep the contents of my stomach _in_ my stomach, I glanced around carefully. Thankfully, this area was blanketed in shadows, which helped keep my headache to a minimum whereas the sun would send it soaring into a migraine.

I looked from one side of a building to another. Both were made of stone or concrete. Something you'd see in a city, I suppose, even though I had never been in one. Peeking down at the ground where I had spent a few hours judging by the crick in my neck, I noticed it was made up of stones. _'Hm? A cobblestone street? Cute,'_ I thought to myself, trying to rub the soreness in my spine away. With a quick glance up, I took note of the several clotheslines crisscrossing a gray sky. A few pieces of laundry hung from one or two of the lines. The people who owned them would probably bring them in a minute or two before the storm hit.

I closed my eyes but kept my nose in the air. Taking a few deep breaths, I caught the scent of rain heavy in the air. I opened my eyes back up, a sigh escaping my lips. Getting caught in a downpour was definitely not on my list of things to do today.

Biting back a pained groan, I eased my way into a standing position. My knees buckled for a minute, but I simply clenched my teeth until they were steady once more. Rolling my eyes at my own weakness, I started to walk out of the alley.

"First thing's first: find shelter," I muttered to myself. Every few steps I had to lean against the alley wall for support. Soon enough, however, the strength I had somehow misplaced slowly made its way back to me. Unfortunately, as soon as this happened, my stomach started up its own series of protests. My face dropped into a grimace.

"On second thought, maybe food is the way to go."

I came out into a street. Looking around, I was surprised to find it wasn't that crowded. Hell, there were probably two or three people running around at the most! My eyes traveled up to the sky once again. Well, perhaps that explained the reason why the roads were so deserted? No one wants to be caught out in a storm. As I walked down the sidewalk, however, I couldn't help but notice how absolutely _no_ cars passed by me either. You'd think there'd be at least ten different vehicles making their rounds (either on their way to work or the grocery store or _something_!) in a city as big as this, but the roads remained as silent as the grave.

It gave me the creeps.

I kept walking, turning my head here and there to take in all the signs hanging from various places. Clothing stores, smithies, mechanics, and even a couple bars (which I was _not_ going into) met my searching gaze as I strode past them. I let out an exasperated sigh, not yet catching sight of a restaurant. I was about to turn around and head off in the other direction to see if I'd have better luck there when something wet splattered on the tip of my nose. My body froze mid-step.

Another drop of water hit my forehead as I turned my face skywards. Several more followed, hitting various parts of my body. I cursed out loud before taking off in a mad dash down a random street, hoping against hope I would find a place to escape the rain.

A loud clap of thunder drowned out the sound of my black combat boots as they slammed against the pavement. I could feel the rainfall getting heavier and the wind starting to pick up. I silently thanked my foresight in purchasing a waterproof bag for my precious cards hanging from my belt, next to my athame. Unfortunately, I cursed the fact that I hadn't had the intelligence to wear a coat in preparation for such weather. Of course, it wasn't like I had much of (or any) warning of such a predicament. As it was, I simply pumped my legs to go faster, racing down various streets and keeping my eyes peeled for an abandoned warehouse or even a store or restaurant that would give me shelter without having me pay for anything. I had just realized that I had no money with me. What a time to be dirt-poor. . . .

With a sudden whirl of movement, I kicked off from the concrete to avoid ramming into a small group of people as I abruptly rounded a corner. My quick reflexes had me touching down on the other side of them, having leapt directly over their heads to prevent a rather-nasty accident. I groaned into my hand. I had to stop moving so fast when it was so unnecessary. . . .

"My, my," a familiar, sultry voice issued before me.

I looked up, trying to keep my cool demeanor in place even though I was freaking out on the inside. Had I really almost run into _them_? I mean, literally, almost run into them? What the hell kind of luck did I have?! The fates really had too much fun with me. . . .

"What quick reflexes you have there," a dark-haired beauty complimented, her crimson gaze focused squarely on me.

I could feel the rain soaking me to the bone, but found I didn't really care. I couldn't stop staring at the three people standing right before me. However, I did care that they had an umbrella. . . . Lucky bastards. . . .

"I've never seen a girl do that before," a man–standing a few inches shorter than his comrade–commented. The spiky array of his emerald-colored hair remained the same even after he stepped out into the downpour to get a closer look at me. It took all I had not to take an automatic step back as I felt his violet eyes bore into my own.

"Lust? Lust? Who is she? She smells funny," an overweight man–shorter than both of them–asked the woman. A chubby finger clung to one corner of his wide mouth, and his eyes looked confused as he stared at me.

I didn't know whether or not to be offended by the "smell funny" statement, but I kept my expression as oblivious as possible. It would do no good if I got killed now for saying something they didn't like.

But what the hell was I supposed to say?

"What does she smell like, Gluttony?" Lust asked her overweight companion, eyes narrowed as she looked from me to Gluttony and then back again.

I was so engrossed in the answer that I hadn't even noticed Envy disappearing from my sight.

"Like us, but not like us," he spoke slowly, blinking his eyes in confusion. It was obvious he had no idea _what_ exactly I smelt like. "But _not_ human. Definitely not human."

Lust raised an elegant eyebrow, intrigued by the observation. She glanced over at me and smirked.

My eyes widened at the smirk before I realized that Envy was nowhere to be seen. _'I've got a bad feeling about this. . . ._' I thought, sweatdropping before I felt a pair of hands encircle my wrists in an iron grip. Instinctively, I kicked out behind me, surprising my attacker more than actually hurting him. He let go, my swift kick in his ribs leaving him little more than breathless. Before he could grab me again, I flipped backwards, over his head, using his shoulders to bound off of. I landed several feet away, a look of accomplishment on my face.

"Damn it all!" Envy hissed under his breath, clearly pissed that I had given him the slip. I simply shrugged it off as if I hadn't done anything. Apparently that got under his skin even more.

The green-haired homunculus sprung forward, teeth clenched together in anger. I sprang back at the last moment, his fist harmlessly ramming into the sidewalk where I had previously stood. After the dust cleared, a large crater was visible in the middle of the concrete. I sweatdropped from my position on a doorstep. This guy needed some serious anger management therapy. . . .

I leapt away once more as Envy jumped over to my new position. He wrecked the doorframe (the door disappeared in a shower of splinters) and simply grew angrier with my evasiveness. We danced like that for awhile, both of us oblivious to our two on-lookers, but I was growing tired. I was abnormally-fast for a human, but I couldn't keep it up forever. As far as strength went, I would lose which was I could never hope to beat Envy in hand-to-hand combat. The most I could do was avoid his attacks and hope he'd give up. Unfortunately, my stamina was fading fast, and the weather was certainly not helping either.

I let out a small gasp as I felt my right foot slip in a puddle of water. I quickly regained my balance, however. . .it just wasn't quick enough.

"Gotcha!" Envy's voice shouted out in ecstasy, making me turn around to face him with a look of fear in my eyes. The arm he had morphed into a blade sliced at me, and I had mere seconds to block it. My hand that I had kept close to my side all this time, now came sweeping out in an arc. My other hand came up with it to block the fatal blow Envy was throwing my way. The sound of metal hitting metal resounded throughout what was left of the little patch of street we fought on.

"WHAT?!" Envy's shout buffeted my ears and I grimaced at the loudness of his effeminate voice.

I looked up at him, throwing him my deadliest glare over the double-edged blade of my athame. My glower hardened when I heard him chuckle at my expression. Well, I supposed when you compare my glare to his, mine _would_ look a bit laughable. . . . But that was no reason to laugh in the middle of a battle! Especially when I was just an inch from death. . . .

Envy suddenly straightened up, transforming his arm back to normal. I stood up as well, sheathing my dagger but watching my enemy with suspicious eyes. He chuckled again, but, this time, held his hand out. I looked at his palm warily. What the hell did he want me to do with it? Cut if off? Tempting. . . .

"You could be useful. And based on what Gluttony said, you'd have reason to join us, right?" Envy replied to my questioning look. He kept his hand out, but I refused to take it.

Lust and Gluttony suddenly appeared at my side. I tried to keep the nervousness I felt off my face, but I suppose I failed when I saw Lust and Envy smirk.

"We could always take you by force. Could come in handy as a hostage, eh, Lust?" Envy asked his well-endowed companion as he put both of his hands on his hips.

"Yes," Lust replied in an off-handed tone, but kept her eyes focused on me. "That would be a brilliant idea. What's your name girl?" she asked, drastically changing the subject.

I opened my mouth to tell them, but then closed it when I thought of something. I let out a gentle sigh and glanced away from them, looking down at my feet as if I suddenly found my shoes very interesting.

"You can't speak?" Lust concluded by herself with a raised brow. Her red lips turned up in yet another smirk. "That makes it even better. I suppose we'll have to come up with a name for you later. For now, let's return to the motel." She started walking away, Gluttony at her side.

I felt a smile tug at my own lips but strained to keep the expression off my face as I slowly followed the pair. Envy trailed behind me, making me uncomfortable, but I tried to ignore him.

It didn't work very well. Oh well, perhaps my plan would pan out better. . . .


	3. From the Beginning

_Disclaimer: I do not own _FullMetal Alchemist_. I do own the OC (who's name has yet to show up. lol)._

_Crimson: I can't believe she hasn't had a name for two chapters. . . ._

_Truth: Why am I here anyway? I never even showed up._

_Crimson: . . .Well, you show up here. . . ._

_Truth: -.-;;_

_Crimson: READ ON!_

* * *

**Chapter Three–**

**From the Beginning**

**O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O**

"How about 'Betrayal'?" Envy asked in a bored tone.

I grimaced at the name, recognizing it as one that I had used for a character in one of my stories. I watched gratefully as Lust shook her head in the negative.

"It's not as if she is betraying her own kind. According to Gluttony's nose, she isn't even _human_," Lust explained rationally.

I was liking her more every second. Ever since we had arrived at the motel, Lust had acted like a flustered mother or a caring older sister to me, more or less. Granted, she had forced me to get out of my wet clothes so that I was wrapped in bed sheets now, but she had made Envy and Gluttony _both_ turn the other way so I could undress in private. And she didn't even seem to mind that I was scooted up as close to her as possible (and, consequently, as far away from the males in the room as possible) since she was the only other female in the group.

I feigned ignorance as the pair continued to throw random names around. My slender fingers played with a lock of my wet hair. I let my brown eyes travel over the dark strands. In this wet state, my usually-brunette hair looked as black as night, almost like Lust's. I continued to observe the shiny strands, letting a small smile slip onto my lips when I noticed the ends _weren't_ curling up for a change. I had naturally-curly hair, but had endeavored time and time again to straighten it. Somehow, someway my hair was staying straight. . . . I wonder if it had anything to do with how I had gotten here. . . .

"How 'bout 'Angel', then?" Envy suddenly bit out, getting fed up with anything that resembled a sin and opting for the exact opposite now.

My eyes widened in surprise at his suggestion. I watched in shock as Lust thought it over before glancing down at me. Her eyebrows rose just a fraction at my reaction, and then her lips curved upwards in a smile.

Or a smirk. I couldn't tell which. Seriously, did these people even _know_ how to smile?!

"I think 'Angel' would be just fine," the dark-haired sin settled before getting to her feet. "Gluttony and I have some business to attend to. Envy, take care of Angel," she ordered the younger-looking homunculus before walking over to the door. Before she left, however, she turned to give a stern look at Envy. "And try not to kill her," she said, referring to our little street fight earlier.

I blushed guiltily and glanced away even though I knew Lust wasn't speaking to me. I didn't catch Envy's expression, but I highly doubted it had anything to do with guilt.

"Yeah, yeah," he muttered, probably rolling his eyes as the door snapped shut.

The next thing I heard was the lock turning. With a start, I swung my head only to see Envy with his back to the door and grinning widely at me.

_'Oh, shit!' _was the only thing that I could think as I started to inch away from the green-haired sin. His smirk only grew bigger as he took his time coming closer to me. I felt my back hit the headboard of the bed I sat on. I turned briefly to give it a glare. Within that span of a second, I felt hands grip my chin and force me to look into the violet eyes of Envy.

What I saw there wasn't what I expected to see. There was no hatred or anger in those slit-pupiled eyes, but a gentle curiosity and a promise of some sort that I couldn't place. I don't know. All I can say is this: these didn't _look_ like the eyes of a killer. . . .

"Now, you're going to tell me why you pretended to be mute, and why you don't smell like a human," his tone of voice, at first, was friendly and gentle, but instantly I caught the telltale signs of malice underlying the words as he spoke on. "You are going to tell me _everything_ or Lust won't see her little birdie anymore," he smiled at me, the insane gleam in his eyes revealing everything I needed to know.

_'Shit,_' I thought. _'Very funny, Truth. You sent me into the manga. . . .'_

I knew full-well how much more malicious Envy was in the manga than in the anime. His whole personality, while overall similar, could drastically change from "happy" to "psychotic killer". In short, he had mood swings. . . . _Bad _mood swings. . . .

Well, _this_ was going to be a pain in the ass.

"Come on, little birdie, talk," Envy encouraged, squeezing my jaw until my eyes started to tear up in pain. He smirked at my discomfort, while I glared at him for it.

"You won't tell?" I asked, sounding more daring than I felt.

He looked surprised for a moment before letting his smirk turn into a false smile. "Of course not. Cross my heart and hope to die," he promised while crossing his heart with the hand he had held my chin with.

I stared at him with a deadpan expression while saying, "You _can't_ die. . . . You can't _stay_ dead, anyway."

Envy looked thoughtful as if contemplating my words before breaking out into a huge grin. "Well, you'll just have to trust me, then."

I sighed, knowing I'd have to do just that. If I didn't tell him everything he wanted to know, then he'd kill me here and now. I really didn't want that, so I would have to just hope he kept his word and played along. It was my turn to look thoughtful now. Maybe he would keep quiet about everything, if only because he would want to keep it for himself for awhile. I mean, he _was_ envy, after all. He wouldn't want others to share this secret. Or maybe I was thinking of Greed? Oh, well. Enough stalling.

"Okay. . . ." I agreed slowly. I really didn't want to tell him everything. An idea hit me then. The mute thing may not have worked on Envy, but perhaps this would. "I would tell you everything, but I don't _remember_ anything," I lied through my teeth. I wasn't very good at telling fibs, but this one had my life on the line, literally. I glanced up at Envy, staring at him through the damp strands of my bangs. His expression was one of shock mixed with disappointment. _'Yes!'_ I cheered silently, careful not to show my excitement outwardly. "I don't even know my own name," I continued, pumping just the right amount of sadness into my voice. I willed tears into my eyes–something I had learned from my little sister. They helped make my story sound plausible. "I have no idea if I even have a family. If I had friends. Are they looking for me? Am I loved at all? I don't know what's going on!" I cried, throwing myself into the mattress and carefully avoiding Envy's frozen form. I didn't know what the hell he'd do if I started "crying" into his chest. . . .

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" Envy shouted out, watching me go into hysterics. I let my whole body start to shake with sobs, but, secretly, I was laughing at his obvious discomfort. "No need to get so emotional," his voice continued to "comfort" me. He sighed in defeat. "Just forget it. If you can't remember then it's useless."

I almost jumped when I felt his hand settle on my shoulder in a reassuring manner. My body stopped shaking with laughter as his thumb rubbed my shoulder blade in comforting circles. _'Hey, he's not so bad at this,'_ I thought dreamily to myself, getting drunk by the slow movements of his small caresses. I had always had a weakness for being touched or petted since it didn't happen very often. I swear that I must have been a cat or a dog in my past life.

"Okay," I mumbled into the bed sheets, not wanting to sit up lest it disrupt the soothing movement on my back. In a distant part of my mind, I recalled that these hands that were currently bringing me comfort had been trying to kill me about an hour ago (and had threatened to kill me less than five minutes ago). But I was a girl who lived in the moment, so those instances had simply faded from my mind. I was content just to lie here and let Envy pet me like a cat.

"You're like a cat or something," Envy chuckled, mimicking my thoughts. I growled, but that only earned me an effeminate laugh. Even with his ridicule, I refused to budge, so he continued to move his thumb in small circles on my back.

I thought about his questions for a minute, deciding on whether or not I should say something. My plan on playing the part of an amnesia-ridden damsel-in-distress had worked, but would it be enough? Would the fact that I don't _smell_ human nor homunculus be enough for their _Father_?

Perhaps it would.

For now, it would have to do. If not, then I could have a sudden memory recovery and tell them a juicy tidbit to keep them interested enough in me to keep me alive. Because if I was still breathing, then I would have a chance to do what needed to be done. If I could just hang on, then I could make a difference and change the story. . . .

I just needed to stay alive. . .somehow. . . .

* * *

**.::5 hours later::.**

"Oh my, Envy," Lust's voice woke me up. I blinked, not remembering falling asleep. "I didn't know you could be nice."

"Shut up," Envy's voice growled in response. I felt a smile tug at my lips at his answer, amused. Typical Envy.

I pulled the covers tighter around my body, shivering despite the warmth of the bed I lay in. I was about to fall back asleep when a warm body placed itself at my side, making my mattress sink. I slid backwards into the person, my light weight no match for the heavier one of whoever had sat down on my bed. I groaned before opening my eyes and straining to sit up. I had no clue how long I had slept, but I knew it couldn't have been very long because my limbs felt like lead and I was much too groggy. It took my eyes a few seconds to adjust to the dim light of the room. With a quick glance outside, I noticed night had fallen. The full moon shone in the window frame, flooding the motel room with a silvery light. If not for that, I wouldn't have been able to see _anything_ much less the three other people who currently occupied the room.

"Good morning, Angel," Lust greeted with a small smirk, legs crossed as she sat on the back of Gluttony.

_'Morning?' _I repeated in my head, confused. I looked out the window again. _'Don't tell me they mean–?'_

"As in three in the morning," Envy confirmed my thoughts, grinning down at me from his position on the bed. I was too tired to even jump at his close proximity. My back pressed against his side thanks to his heavier (and I mean _much_ heavier) weight on the mattress.

"We're going to be leaving in a few minutes," Lust informed me, looking me up and down as if gauging my condition.

I blushed, not used to having people stare at me. My face only got redder when I noticed Envy's violet gaze raking over my body as well. I silently thanked the spirits that it was nighttime.

_'Wait!'_ I thought, suddenly reminded of my undressed state. I panicked and motioned to my body with frustrated waves of my hand. A bag was suddenly shoved into my face.

"Clothes?" Envy said for me as he released his hold on the bag and let it drop into my waiting hands. "Lust went out to fetch them for you."

I acquired a confused expression and tossed the woman a curious glance. I smiled gratefully at her even while I grew nervous as to what exactly it was that she had purchased. I bit back the thanks I wanted to say, just barely remembering I was supposed to be mute.

"No problem," she brushed off the gratitude I so desperately wanted to say while gazing out the window. "We couldn't wait for your clothes to dry so this was the next-best thing." She turned back to me and smirked. "Unless you wanted to run around in _that_," she pointed to the sheet I had wrapped around my shoulders.

I instantly turned red and shook my head in the negative. Envy laughed at my antics and I turned to glare at him. He motioned to his lips in a meaningful manner, reminding me to be silent and _not_ yell at him lest Lust know that I could speak.

I bit my lower lip and turned away from him. Crawling over to the other side of the bed–careful to keep my temporary "clothes" on me–I motioned for Envy to turn around. I narrowed my eyes at him when he refused. Thankfully, Lust rescued me.

"Envy, Gluttony, give her some privacy," the female homunculus demanded, not sparing any of us a glance as she continued to gaze out into the night.

Gluttony followed her orders immediately and turned to face the window. Envy, on the other hand, hesitated, but ended up rolling his eyes and facing the wall.

I shuddered, feeling the cold air nip at my skin as I let the white sheet fall away from my body. I tried to keep my eyes on Envy to make certain that he didn't turn around, but, for some reason, it just made me even more uneasy. Instead, I turned my own back to the three and started to redress, pulling out the items Lust had bought (or stole) for me.

A glimmer of appreciation lit in my dark-brown eyes as I revealed the outfit she had replaced my old, ruined one with. Lust had a very good eye. She must have tried to get something similar to my former outfit. She certainly knew what I liked, that was for sure.

I quickly slipped on the plain black underwear and bra. I have no idea how she had guessed my sizes, but she had. They fit better than my old ones! Lust's eye for detail was starting to scare me. . . .

A red-and-black plaid skirt went next, a silver chain dangling from one hip. The black lace of the skirt ended at my mid-thigh, but a pair of skin-tight black shorts went underneath it. The skirt hid them from view, but if I ever needed to do my acrobatics then I wouldn't have to worry about my opponents seeing my underwear. . . .

I left the shirt for last, deciding to secure my belt that held my athame and card-holder around my waist. Then I went for the knee-high black socks next. After I put those on and slipped my feet into my combat boots, I moved to the shirt. I was surprised to note that it looked a lot like one I had back home. I pulled it over my head and it settled around my torso comfortably. The black sleeves were wide and long, like a robe's, but was slit up to the elbow so the cloth would fall away from my forearm if I raised my arms. Another slit in the sleeves left my shoulders bare. The black cloth covered my chest completely, but left my midriff exposed. The shirt wasn't too tight, but wasn't too loose either. In fact, it was perfect.

I glanced behind me, noticing with a blush that all three homunculi had turned around and were smirking at me. What had they seen? Were they watching me the entire time? Geez, the perverts. . . .

"You like it?" Lust asked, turning my thoughts away from the possibilities of what they had seen.

I nodded my head enthusiastically, smiling shyly.

"Well, then, let's go," Lust announced, leaping off the windowsill suddenly.

I watched, mouth agape, as Gluttony followed her lead. Envy had one foot up on the windowsill before he glanced back at me.

"You coming?" he questioned with a smirk when he saw my shocked expression.

I shook my head roughly to rid myself of the bizarre image of someone jumping out the window _willingly_. This place was going to take some getting used to.

Envy pushed away from the window suddenly and walked towards me, a determined expression on his face. I was too confused by his abrupt change in attitude to back away. I released a surprised yelp as he suddenly tossed me over his shoulder. His collar bone dug into my abdomen and my head spun from being turned upside-down all of a sudden. Realizing we were now alone, I whispered harshly into his ear to let me down.

Surprisingly, he complied.

"Then do it by yourself," he growled at me.

I huffed at him, crossing my arms and waiting until he turned his back on me. With mischief sparkling in my eyes, I leapt onto his exposed back and, just like I expected, his arms immediately went under me to steady the both of us.

"What the hell?!" he barked, glaring at me from over his shoulder.

"This is easier," I stated simply, giving him my own smirk. I may have just signed my death certificate, but, with Lust so close by, I doubted he'd do anything more to me than yell.

"Whatever," he finally muttered after a long stretch of silence. Once again, he put his foot on the windowsill, pushing me higher up on his back for a better grip. I tightened my arms around his neck but not too much, knowing I'd probably get dropped if I pissed him off. And then we jumped out into the night. I glanced down, feeling a bit queasy as I saw how far away the street was. At the same time, however, I felt as free as a bird and excitement pumped through my system. It was over all too soon as Envy touched down on a rooftop. I looked up and noticed that Lust and Gluttony were leaping from rooftop to rooftop, as well. Envy immediately started to run towards them, soaring into the air over and over again much to my pleasure. An excited grin slipped onto my lips as we flew over the sleeping city.

No matter how corny it sounded, I had never felt so _alive_ in all my life. . . .

"Hey, can't _you_ do this yourself?" Envy suddenly asked.

I remained silent, pretending not to hear him.

"You're not deaf _or_ mute, so answer me," Envy growled. He sure did growl a lot. . . .

I sighed in defeat. "Well, yeah, but I don't know how _long_ we're going to do this," I mumbled, trying to get out of putting in the effort of leaping from rooftop to rooftop. In truth, I was just lazy. If I had someone to carry me, then why would I bother wasting the energy? "And, plus, I have no _clue_ where we're going. . . ." Both were valid points.

Envy, of course, didn't care about that.

He skidded to a halt and dropped me like a sack of potatoes. I fell to the hard concrete of the rooftop and let out a pained hiss. I glared up at him while rubbing my backside.

"Just follow me," he ordered shortly as I got to my feet. He took off once more, not even bothering to wait for me.

I huffed and stomped my foot in a childish tantrum before racing off after him. I poured all my heart and soul into my jumps, leaps, flips, and bounds, trying to outdo Envy's acrobatics.

I managed to equal his, but that was about it. Other than the fact that I could step lighter than he could (simply because I was smaller than him), we stood on equal ground when it came to the flips and leaps. Soon enough, though, I forgot about our little competition and simply began to enjoy the feeling of flight as I sped across the top of what I assumed to be Central city, the capital of Amestris. It wasn't until Envy's agitated shouts at me to stop registered in my brain that I realized Lust, Gluttony, and Envy were three rooftops away.

_'Oops,' _I thought to myself, ashamed that I had missed their sudden halt.

I sped back towards them, going even faster than I had earlier when I had been keeping up with Envy and the others. I landed gracefully next to an irritated Envy, running my fingers through my wind-mussed hair. I looked down questionably at the ends as I realized the dark strands were now three inches past my shoulders.

_'Odd,'_ I thought to myself with a cock of my head. My thoughts, however, were turned away from my hair at Lust's sultry voice.

"Father has instructed us to go to Liore." Lust's voice gained a sarcastic tone at her next words, "We are to keep the _Church of Leto_ in line." Dark-red lips curved up into a sadistic smirk. Tossing a quick side-glance at Envy, I noticed that he wore a similar expression, only somehow darker.

These guys were scary. . . . Fun (for the most part), but scary. . . .

I turned away from the two taller homunculi as they talked over a few details concerning the travel plans. Hopping onto the raised concrete edge of the rooftop, I looked down at my feet as I pretended to walk along a tightrope dangerously dangling high above a captivated audience. Considering the rock-hard road lying several stories below which flashed with street lamps and the occasional car, it didn't take too much imagination. . . .

"What the hell are you doing?!" a voice snapped in my ear as I was suddenly yanked off my tightrope.

I was about to snarl out a reproach when a strong grip covered my mouth, preventing me from speaking.

"This isn't a damn playground!" Envy growled at me, his left eye ticking oddly.

Oh, wait. That was his _vein_. . . . Wait. That can't be good. . . .

I tried to look as apologetic as possible, even though I was as confused as hell. We had just been jumping roof-to-roof and _now_ it was suddenly dangerous? And it was because of him I had been roof-hopping to begin with! What was this guy's problem?! His mood swings were starting to give me a whiplash. . . .

"Envy, let her go," Lust calmly ordered, watching from the sidelines with a bored expression on her pretty features. She had her arms crossed in front of her substantial bust, and her stance all but screamed of impatience.

I was confused that she didn't seem more worried about the situation (whether it would be for Envy's uncontrollable rage or my personal safety), but my gaze soon drifted back to the homunculus who still had my wrist in a painfully-tight hold. Any thoughts I held previously vanished the instant I saw how close his face had moved to mine. It took every ounce of strength I had in my body to resist the urge to blush. Anytime anyone ever got too close to me (especially a boy), I would instantly get embarrassed and turn red. I had been working on it, hoping to control my insanely-high-level of shyness.

Right now, I prayed to every god and goddess I knew that my efforts hadn't been in vain. . . .

I watched in stunned silence as Envy shut his violet-hued eyes and took a steadying breath. The anger in his flawless face slowly dissipated as he took the time to calm himself down. His muscles relaxed, and he backed away a few inches. Yet he still kept his long, pale fingers wrapped securely around my wrist and refused to let up on the pressure. Finally, he pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand as if trying to rid himself of a bothersome headache.

Somehow, I believed _I_ was the headache. . . .

"You really _are_ an idiot," Envy mocked bitterly, just a hint of amusement in his tone. He cracked open an eye to toss me a half-assed glare. "Father is letting you come with us. He's even thinking about _using_ you, and you decide to play dangerous games like _that_?!" He face-palmed at the end of his sentence, but he wasn't finished scolding me yet. I waited patiently, trying not to roll my eyes or do anything else that would upset him. "We can't have you dying on us, girl," he finished with a hard stare.

I played on the idea of sticking my tongue out at him–not unlike a child–but, gauging by his rigid posture and burning violet eyes, I passed on it. No need to press him any further. At least, now, I knew his weakness: me. Even though I was only important to him because his dear old "Dad" would most likely punish him if he lost me.

_'Oh, yippee!'_ I thought to myself sarcastically. _'I'm the homunculi's pet. . . .'_

"Well, now," Lust cut in, breaking the tense atmosphere that had suddenly fallen over us. I breathed a grateful sigh but still glared at the pale hand clasped around my right wrist. "We should get going now. It's nearly dawn. We don't want to miss our train, now do we?" Lust gave the three of us a wry smile (or as close to a smile as a homunculus could apparently get) and sauntered over to the building's rooftop door. In a few seconds, the shadows engulfed her lithe form and she was gone. Gluttony waddled in after her, gorilla-like arms swinging to and fro. He, too, quickly disappeared into the building. Suddenly, only Envy and I stood on the rooftop. I tried to move after them, but Envy's strong grip kept me tethered to my initial spot.

"What's wrong?" I asked as softly as I could, glancing towards the entrance to the building. Even though I was pretty certain we were completely alone now, I didn't want to take the chance of Lust _or_ Gluttony overhearing me speak. I didn't peg either one of them to be eavesdroppers, but, as the saying goes, "you never know".

Envy considered me for a moment, just staring at me with his inhuman eyes before shrugging his shoulders and following his two companions. Since he still used my arm as a leash, I immediately trailed along behind him. For a brief moment, I considered telling him to simply buy a leash rather than use my arm as one, but quickly vetoed the idea. I shuddered to think of what he'd do if he actually took me up on my offer. Knowing how sadistic he could get, I'd wager he'd never take the damn thing off. . . .

"So. . .who's 'Father'?" I asked, already knowing the answer but curious to see if he'd even respond.

"Stop talking," Envy bit out, sighing as if I had been talking his ear off the entire time.

I snorted at his "brush-off" attitude, thoroughly irritated. "Why?" I asked, curious as to why he wanted me to shut up all of a sudden. I couldn't sense either Lust or Gluttony around so that couldn't have been the reason.

"Because you're annoying," he answered carelessly, continuing to drag me down the winding stairs.

"That's not a very good reason," I muttered under my breath but fell silent anyway. I didn't miss the self-indulged smirk (or what I could see of it from my view-point off to the side behind him) or the dancing violet of his eyes as he tossed a quick glance at me. I huffed in displeasure and tried to cross my arms, but couldn't after realizing that he still had a firm grip on one of them. Instead, I settled for glaring at the long emerald spikes of his hair, hoping my thoughts alone could ignite it.

Looks like this was going to be some adventure. . . .

_'Hold on. . . . Did Lust just say 'Liore'?'_


	4. IMPORTANT UPDATE!

I am sorry to inform you all that the story "The Difficult Path" from Fullmetal Alchemist fanfiction will no longer exist.

The reason behind this is that there I have far too many stories to keep track of and too many of them are so much alike to others that they were pointless. So I am fleshing out those stories I want to keep and combining some and deleting others.

"The Difficult Path" will be combining with "Harmony", so if you want to continue reading, go to "Harmony" in the fma category or in my story list! ^o^

And please do not kill me... **nervous laugh**


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